Friel’s (Lynch’s)

Isn`t this the pub just on the left when you arrive at Miltown on the road from Ennis ?
If it is, it used to be Willie Clancy`s regular. I saw him in there once but he wasn`t playing unfortunately.
Doesn`t this pub also go by the name of Friel`s ? My memory is a bit rusty down the years, but no doubt one of the locals will correct me if I`m wrong.
Mike

Friel’s it was. Tom and Maisy. Yes Willie did play there Gerry and I played with him once. Pat Burns(whistle,Waterford) hid there on many weekends and lived of Maisy’s sausage-sandwitches and slept up in the attic room many a night and woke to the sound of a horse and cart rumble past. Treasured memories.
’tas always a great place for a session and thankfully the front and “parlour-bar” havent changed. Though the “Gents” (a gutter in the side passage) has.

Second line should read Pat Burns and I …hid there…

Through the summer months (and maybe all year - I haven’t been to Clare at any other time of year) there seem to be sessions most nights of the week in Friels. Jacky Daly, Bernadette McCarthy, Henry Benagh, Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh and Edel Fox are among the regular musicians there.

Yes, there are sessions most nights of the year during the summer, but mainly friday and saturday nights during the winter months.

Bernadette McCarthy is very welcoming but for the rest- not the case. I found them to be cliquish and humorless. Not much craic. Sure they can play- but it’s not much fun.

Hmm, well I found them all very welcoming, John Kelly, Jackie Small, another fiddler who’s name I didn’t catch and Bernadette. We had a great time kicking session, very friendly, a bit wary at first but thats to be expected . Of course this was a winter session, I imagine in summer its different?

I’ve added the phone number according to information provided in a leaflet by “The Miltown Malbay Trader’s Company”, which I picked up at the Willie Clancy week last year.
The days of sessions can change at very short notice, although I believe the sessions on Friday and Saturday are well-established - phoning the bar to check first is strongly recommended.
The leaflet says there are sessions every night from Wednesday through to Sunday, but that might well be in the summer season only, and not apply to the rest of the year.
As for Cleary’s, the map’s not much use, but “Lynch’s” isn’t difficult to find.

Hmmm…. according to “11890 Directory Enquiries” website, the phone number is : 065 708 5883.

It’s now back as Friel’s.